Tri-States Rocks Minerals & Fossils

My Favorite specimen.  Collected in 2006

There is an old borrow pit on a hillside in the northwest corner of New Jersey, in Sussex County, in the town of Montague that produces some extraordinary water-clear quartz crystal. (It was this crystal that got my interest in collecting started in the first place!) What is amazing about it is that this mountain is made of sandstone and shale and is well known for fossils, not minerals. What a surprise it was to find these crystals here....

Central Arkansas, Western North Carolina, Central New York State(Herkimer and Middleville), Eastern Pennsylvania (near Williamsport) and our little spot in Montague, NJ are the only known places you can find this type of crystal with this level of clarity and beauty. When I tell people, especially experienced rock and mineral collectors about the site, I am quite often met with a bit of disbelief. "There's no quartz crystals in Jersey" I often hear. But actually, there are!

I got my start in this hobby at this very spot. When I first moved into the area, the local kids told me about a mountain loaded with crystals. I hopped on the ATV and headed over to the spot. What I found amazed me and got my interest in minerals and geology flowing. A mountain glittering with "diamonds". This was too cool. I collected a small pocketful and headed back home. I still have those crystals in a plastic box right in with my mineral collection in my display case. Those are actually my pride and joy!!

The crystals that come from this spot are extraordinary, beautiful and easy to collect....

BUT......

The reason I no longer "advertise" the exact location of the site on this website is because of a change in land ownership in late 2006. What used to be privately owned land with no restrictions on collecting and open permission from the landowner, has been sold and taken over by the NJ State Park Service. This land ownership change has put a damper on locals in the area who have used this tract of land for collecting and various other recreational uses for DECADES!!!

Now, for the record, the NJSPS has NOT "officially" made ANY notice whether quartz crystal collecting at the site is or is not allowed. However, it would not surprise me if a park ranger would have something to say about it, especially if there is a large group collecting. The possibility of a ticket or fine always looms, especially if attitudes and discussions were to become heated. The area is now occasionally patrolled by the NJSPS Park Police who can show up at any time. Consider this before your trip.

Personally, I am thankful for all the amazing quartz crystal specimens I have collected from the site over the last 12 years, and the enjoyment it brought to myself, my friends, and my family. The specimens I own are very special to me because they are "the last" specimens to be collected from the mountain before the change of land ownership.

 Who knows, maybe someday in the future, the state may "re-open" the site for public collecting. That would be a wonderful thing...I can always dream, right????

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A brief history of the Montague Quartz site-

The late 1800's brought a huge influx of railroads into the rail yards of Port Jervis, NY. There was a great need for ice to be used in refrigeration to keep goods fresh for its trip to NY City. The railroaders found this swampy area in nearby Montague and dammed it up forming a large shallow pond, perfect for cutting blocks of ice. Its close proximity to Port Jervis made it an ideal location. An access road needed to be built to the pond. The crew removed the side of an adjascent mountain to use as fill for the roadway. When they did, they uncovered a multitude of clear quartz crystals in the crumbly clay-sandstone from the hillside. The old-timers said the road used to sparkle in the sunlight. The remnants of the road still sparkle in the sun today! It soon became a popular collecting spot for locals and ice pond workers. The ice pond shut down in the 1940's when electric refrigeration became available to the railroads. The local collectors continued to collect from the site for the next 6 decades as the landowner allowed collecting and often conversed with the collectors working the mine. In winter of 2005-2006, the landowner passed away and the land went up for sale. In late 2006 it was purchased using funds from the NJ Green Acres fund and put into the hands of the NJ State Park Service. The rangers at High Point State Park were assigned to patrol the land. However, in early 2009, responisbility for the property was again transferred, this time to the rangers at Stokes State Forest, some 15 miles away. Since that time, we have not seen a single ranger or SPP patrol this area. Take that for what it's worth.

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Here are a few samples of what has been collected at the site from 1997-2006

 

What has been found at the site....

WHITE QUARTZ CRYSTAL - This is the most common quartz. It is plentiful on the hill, but is not as highly desired as the clear.

ULTRA WATER CLEAR QUARTZ CRYSTAL - This IS where the term "Crystal Clear" comes from. This crystal is as clear as glass (which is made from quartz sand). This is the most valuable and most desired type of quartz. It is not as plentiful as the white, but it's there!

PIONTS - Points are the ends, or tips of the original crystals that have, for whatever reason, broken off and now lay loose around the site. These are beautiful and plentiful.

DOUBLE TERMINATED CRYSTALS(or "Floaters") - These crystals have points on both ends. They are rare, hard to find and tend to be the more valuable of the crystals.  Over the years, we have found a numerous good specimens at the site.

SIAMESE CRYSTALS - This is where 2 crystals have grown together at opposite angles. This is my favorite thing to find. We have many really cool specimens of this type of crystal.

SCEPTERS- This is a double-terminated crystal where one end is noticably larger than the other end. I have only ever found ONE of these at the site. From what I have heard from other collectors, these are extremely rare and difficult to find.

CLUSTERS - These are definitely the most beautiful of the finds at the site. Clusters are where many, many crystals have formed in one clump. The crystals protrude out in many directions and when cleaned up, can be a beautiful addition to a book shelf or mantle.

VUGS - These are cavities in the rock that are packed with crystals. If you are lucky enough to be able to get one of these out of the mountain intact, good for you. It is hard to do.

These are some of the double-terminated crystals we have pulled from the site! I lovingly call them "Monts" (re: "Herks" from Herkimer, NY)

One of my favorites, a large chunk with a double terminated crystal mounted right on top!!

The above crystal was collected by James from Philadelphia in early March 2009. One of the better ones I've seen! (2cm x 3cm x 3cm)

A few of Bryan's finds from out trip on 3/15/09. Note 2 beautiful double terminated crystals we jokingly call "Monts" (like "Herks" from Herkimer). The clusters had not been cleaned in this photo. Imagine how great they'll look when they're done!

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To fellow rockhounds: If you would like to obtain directions to visit the site, you can e-mail me. Please tell me where you are from so I know how to word the directions. Please also tell me a little bit about who you are and why you are asking. I can't stand getting e-mails that say "I want directions." and nothing else. I think that's rude and impersonal, if you know what I mean. If you send me a nice, friendly e-mail request, I will answer you promptly!

p.s. - I take NO responsiblity of what happens if you are stopped by rangers for collecting at the site!